A number of different connecting devices are used in the communications industry to splice together conductors of cables.
One type of multiple contact connector, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,158, is commonly referred to as a stackable connector and includes an index strip and a connector module. The index strip and connector module both include a row of conductor receiving grooves equally spaced along their upper surface, while the connector module further includes a metallic contact underlying each groove and having a conductor receiving slot at its upper and lower end. In use, an individual insulated conductor from a first group of conductors is positioned in each conductor receiving groove of the index strip. The conductors are then forceably seated in the grooves, and the ends of the conductors extending beyond the index strip are trimmed off. The conductor module is thereafter pressed into engagement with the index strip, resulting in the conductor receiving slots in the lower ends of the contacts cutting through the insulation of and the contacts making electrical connection with the conductors of the first group. Conductors of a second group which are to be electrically interconnected to those of the first group are then inserted into the conductor receiving grooves of the connector module. The assembly is completed by these conductors being forceably pressed down into the conductor receiving slots at the upper end of the contacts whereby the contacts cut through the insulation of and make electrical connection with these conductors. The ends of the conductors extending beyond the connector module are thereafter trimmed off.
It should be apparent that tools which are used to assemble multiple contact, stackable connectors of this type must be capable of imparting sufficient forces to elements of the connector to secure them together. Further, such tools must have the capability of seating conductors within plastic and metallic portions of the connector and of severing excess lengths of the conductors. Finally, such tools should include a means for adjusting to the varying heights of the stackable assembly so that excessive forces are not applied with resulting damage to the connector or the tool.
A hand-operated connector assembly tool is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,138 by Becker et al issued on Apr. 10, 1979 that requires a mechanical slide spacer to position the tool. The slide spacer allows the tool to be moved through discrete incremental distances corresponding to the heights of the stackable connector elements for which the slide spacer is designed.
Thus, the tool is limited to a connector for which the discrete incremental heights provided by the slide spacer are effective. If the tool is to be used with other connectors then a modification of the tool is required which entails changing the slide spacer. This change usually involves either a reshaping of the spacer originally within the tool or its replacement by a new slide spacer. In either case, the tool must be removed from service for a period of time.
Our invention is an improvement on the tool described in the before-mentioned patent of Becker et al. It is simpler and easier to operate. It also requires less maintenance than the prior art tool and is more reliable. Finally our tool does not require modification to accommodate different incremental heights of connectors and is force limited rather than displacement limited, thus preventing possibility of an overload which could damage the tool or connector.